Sports
Bison Dele
1969–2002 · basketball player, center
NBA champion center, then known as Brian Williams, who set career highs with the Pistons before walking away from a $36 million contract in a dispute with the team.
- Born
Fresno, California- Died
Tahiti, French Polynesia
aged 33- Birth name
- Brian Carson Williams
- Also known as
- Bison Dele · Brian Williams
- Detroit years
- 1996–1998
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Playing under his birth name Brian Williams, the 10th overall pick in the 1991 draft joined the Pistons for the 1996–97 season after already winning an NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls. In two seasons in Detroit he had the best statistical years of his career, setting personal highs of 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds a game in 1997–98. He had become the team's highest-paid player, but strained relations with the Pistons organization led him to walk away from the five years and roughly $36.45 million remaining on his contract rather than accept a trade. He later changed his name to Bison Dele, retired from basketball, and disappeared in 2002 while sailing in the South Pacific; he is believed to have been murdered by his brother.
Highlights
- Joined the Pistons for the 1996–97 season, already an NBA champion (Chicago Bulls, 1997)
- Set career-high averages of 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds with Detroit in 1997–98
- Was the Pistons' highest-paid player
- Walked away from roughly $36 million remaining on his contract rather than be traded
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Played here · 1996–1998
The Palace of Auburn Hills
Demolished · 1988–2020
His home arena for his two Pistons seasons; demolished in 2020.